FIG. 1 depicts a side view of a conventional magnetic recording head. The conventional magnetic recording head 10 includes a read transducer 12 and a write transducer 20. The conventional read transducer 12 includes shields 14 and 18 and sensor 16. The read sensor 16 is typically a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor or tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) sensor. The write transducer 20 includes a first, or return, pole 22, coils 24 and 32, back gap 26, auxiliary pole 28, main pole 30 and shield 344. The back gap 26 may be used to connect the return pole 22 with the auxiliary pole 28 and, therefore, the main pole 30. In addition, although not shown, the shield 18 may be an antiferromagnetically coupled shield. For example, the shield 18 may include ferromagnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer configured such that the magnetic moments of the ferromagnetic layers are antiferromagnetically coupled. In addition, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer may also be provided in the shield 18.
Although the conventional magnetic recording head 10 functions, there are drawbacks. In particular, the first pole 22 may be unstable. For example, the first pole 22 may be magnetically dynamic. In other words, the first pole 22 may be magnetically active even if there is no current driven through the coils 24 and 32. Further, magnetic coupling between the first pole 22 and the shield 18 may be a source of reader instability. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for improving the performance of a magnetic recording head.